10 Tips To Use A Productivity Planner

A planner can be a powerful tool to bring our lives back on track. Knowing the right tips to use a planner can help your productivity and keep you organized.

Generally, we have big ideas that we will do many tasks in a single day only to end up doing nothing. It is because either your day doesn’t go as planned or laziness overpowers.

Want to get control of your daily activities with a solid plan? Keep reading for our top 10 tips to get you more productive today.

Develop Good Productivity Habits

Time Management requires self-discipline. But it also requires a planner! Using an agenda can help build the willpower to do the tasks as per the schedule.

First, develop the habit of getting up early and sleeping on time. When you start, you may have to set reminder alarms or even write them in your planner.

The second thing to do after this is to develop the habit of planning for the next day before sleeping. Investing even ten minutes to jot down your ideas at the end of the day is a great way to clear your mind. It will help balance the circadian rhythm which is a bonus.

Going to bed early and clearing your mind before bed are interdependent habits.

What’s Your Planning Style?

Using a planner doesn’t have to be a tedious task. You can make it as fun or as to-the-point simple as you like.

If you are creative, there are many planner apps and planner accessories. Use coloured pens or stickers to decorate your journal. This will make it both attractive and functional.

If you are more practical, use a planner diary app on your phone. Be sure that you add details of your day such as appointment times and your top tasks for the day.

Whichever style you choose, set reminders so you don’t miss important deadlines. Also, add important dates such as birthdays and anniversaries in your diary planner. Your journal isn’t merely for routine tasks, it’s a better version of a reminder system as well.

Block Your Time

Since I’ve started to block my time and made myself commit to three tasks a day, I have been far more productive.

I learned about this system from Jordan Page in her article, The Block Schedule System! What It Is, How It Works, and How It Will Change Your Life!

Essentially, you set out blocks of at least one hour at a time where you will work on a certain task. The idea is that you will get more done and be more focused.

Blocking out your time will develop a productivity system. Instead of wasting time figuring out what to do, you’ll get right to work after you reference your planner.

For example, with a block system, you will have dedicated days and times for specific tasks. Wednesday mornings you work on business marketing tasks. Thursday afternoons are for errands and Fridays are for catching up on what you didn’t get done that week.

Keep It Simple

When you first start using a planner for productivity, it can be tempting to plan far into the future.

Before you plan the next month or a whole year in one go, focus on building the habit. Start with being disciplined for a week at a time. Success will motivate you to continue where an obstacle may ruin your experience.

As you use your planner you will determine what works well for you. Does having the month-at-a-glance work better for tracking your personal goals? Do you prefer a week at a glance where you can see all your appointments by the time of day?

Knowing your preferences will inspire you to build your own personal organization system.

Reach Your Goals

When you crossing a task off your list, it feels great. Using a journal lets you track what you need to do as well as how far you’ve come to reach your goals.

Planning what you need to do is just as important as reflecting on what you’ve done. Noting obstacles that may have delayed certain tasks. This will help you be more efficient in your future goal-making.

Conclusion

Planning only helps your productivity if you make a plan and follow it. It’s easy to list out everything you want or should do. Unless you sit down each day to read your notes and do the work, however, it’s a futile exercise.

To summarize, here are our 10 Tips To Use A Planner For Maximum Productivity:

1. Get a planner, agenda, or journal.
2. Get enough sleep.
3. Braindump your ideas for the next day.
4. Determine your planning style.
5. Set reminders or alarms so you don’t miss deadlines.
6. Note important dates.
7. Block your time.
8. Keep it simple.
9. Track your accomplished goals.
10. Reflect and learn.

If you found this list helpful, check out our Top 20 Work From Home Productivity Hacks article for more useful time management tips.